More dads spending time doing housework than in years past

Whitehouse, TX (KYTX) -- The Pew Research Center finds dads are spending more than twice as much time doing housework, like tackling dirty dishes, than dads in the 1960's.

In the Rice household, cleaning is a partnership.

"The floors are always a wreck and it gets quite dusty around here and he's always willing to hop in real quick," Lexi Rice, a mom and wife, said.

She says with a busy lifestyle, she's grateful her husband Greg, doesn't mind picking up some of the slack.

"It helps me not feel so overwhelmed and be able to concentrate more on the kids," Lexi said.

Now married for 11 years, Greg says it just makes sense to him. "You come home from work, and your wife is tired and ready to throw things at the kids. I feel it should be 50/50, I should help out," Greg said.

That mentality of getting in the kitchen is something he attributes to his dad. "I guess that's where I took it from, my dad watching him do chores. That's what I hope my kids will see," Greg said.

In addition to doing more housework, the Pew Research Center finds husbands are also spending more time with the kids--about three times as much as dads did 50 years ago.

"Among our friends and peers, it seems like a lot of the dads are more available at home than maybe our parents were," Lexi said.